Kwak is a bright man, and this is (on the whole) a reasoned discussion.
OS lost his temper in the comments. Ignore that bit, at least the temper part.
Worth reading and considering, especially with the rise of the Rick Perry phenomenon.
Showing posts with label Baseline Scenario. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baseline Scenario. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday Morning Coffee
OldSouth enjoys the quiet, the dogs passed out after the morning romp, the second cup of coffee, well before heading off to church.
The afternoon holds such excitements as the installation of six rose bushes, the final pack-up of the china collection left displaced by the Great Middle Tennessee Flood, and preparation for a ten-day business trip. He is so grateful for the small blessings of coffee, church, dogs, roses and china, and feels just how fragile life is at these moments.
An hour yesterday spent with a neighbor, only five years older, whose health fell apart without warning earlier this year was sobering. OS will be taking his own physician's admonitions to heart. There is a prescription to fill, a diet to undertake, exercise to be done faithfully. No one is bulletproof, especially those of us who believe we are.
So, in the quiet, before the activity that must occupy the day and the next ten, a word of thanks to those who bother to read OS's ramblings. He tries not to ramble, and hopes he adds value to the lives that read his scribble. It doesn't take a shrink to recognize that this blog is in great part a therapeutic exercise, a place to make sense of the world, in a publishable form, clearly enough expressed that someone else might read and understand.
About a year ago, the 'Wrestling Midgets' mayoral campaign in OS's little town finally put him over the edge. It had been preceded by decades of watching the culture slowly unwind and disintegrate, with the recent series of economic crises presenting as the latest symptoms of the malady--the abandonment of the moral and intellectual underpinnings that built this wonderful place. The distress had been building as he watched lives, families, and institutions fall to the avalanche of consequence that now inexorably heads down the hillside of history.
It was either write his thoughts and publish (even if not a soul read it), or become unbearable to the sainted Mrs. OS, or begin working on that first heart attack in earnest. Since he loves Mrs. OS so, and doesn't wish to spend the next twenty years with the big scar on his chest while eating cardboard food, this seemed to be the better route. For very good reasons having to do with the welfare of his family, OldSouth chooses anonymity. Nothing nefarious going on, soon enough it won't matter anyway.
In the meantime, it's been fun to speak from this 'alter-ego' voice.
It has helped to know that people the wide world ‘round read his scribble. It gives him a sense that he is not totally nutters, that he can communicate and be understood. He attempts to explain to his neighbors, in their dialect, here in this sleepy Southern town, how the outside world has come to bear upon them, hence the address 'mainstreetmattersmore'. He tries to share what better minds than his are saying, to help them make sense. He has a definite point of view, but attempts to always learn from others, 'cuz he might be wrong.
Likewise, he attempts to give insight into small-town Southern life, and its state of mind, to anyone who cares to read. Who knows, maybe one of them will be someone who makes big decisions whose consequences rain down upon our small lives.
Maybe, OS will say some small thing that impacts what may remain of a conscience in that person.
Maybe.
So, thank you, all ya'll out there. Whether OS has helped you or not, you certainly have helped save him.
Now, for a morning thought to share, you might wish to look at a recent posting on Baseline Scenario, entitled 'The European Road To Serfdom'. Simon Johnson, a true voice of reason, helps organize the events of the past few months in understandable form.
Hope you find it valuable.
And, again, thank you.
The afternoon holds such excitements as the installation of six rose bushes, the final pack-up of the china collection left displaced by the Great Middle Tennessee Flood, and preparation for a ten-day business trip. He is so grateful for the small blessings of coffee, church, dogs, roses and china, and feels just how fragile life is at these moments.
An hour yesterday spent with a neighbor, only five years older, whose health fell apart without warning earlier this year was sobering. OS will be taking his own physician's admonitions to heart. There is a prescription to fill, a diet to undertake, exercise to be done faithfully. No one is bulletproof, especially those of us who believe we are.
So, in the quiet, before the activity that must occupy the day and the next ten, a word of thanks to those who bother to read OS's ramblings. He tries not to ramble, and hopes he adds value to the lives that read his scribble. It doesn't take a shrink to recognize that this blog is in great part a therapeutic exercise, a place to make sense of the world, in a publishable form, clearly enough expressed that someone else might read and understand.
About a year ago, the 'Wrestling Midgets' mayoral campaign in OS's little town finally put him over the edge. It had been preceded by decades of watching the culture slowly unwind and disintegrate, with the recent series of economic crises presenting as the latest symptoms of the malady--the abandonment of the moral and intellectual underpinnings that built this wonderful place. The distress had been building as he watched lives, families, and institutions fall to the avalanche of consequence that now inexorably heads down the hillside of history.
It was either write his thoughts and publish (even if not a soul read it), or become unbearable to the sainted Mrs. OS, or begin working on that first heart attack in earnest. Since he loves Mrs. OS so, and doesn't wish to spend the next twenty years with the big scar on his chest while eating cardboard food, this seemed to be the better route. For very good reasons having to do with the welfare of his family, OldSouth chooses anonymity. Nothing nefarious going on, soon enough it won't matter anyway.
In the meantime, it's been fun to speak from this 'alter-ego' voice.
It has helped to know that people the wide world ‘round read his scribble. It gives him a sense that he is not totally nutters, that he can communicate and be understood. He attempts to explain to his neighbors, in their dialect, here in this sleepy Southern town, how the outside world has come to bear upon them, hence the address 'mainstreetmattersmore'. He tries to share what better minds than his are saying, to help them make sense. He has a definite point of view, but attempts to always learn from others, 'cuz he might be wrong.
Likewise, he attempts to give insight into small-town Southern life, and its state of mind, to anyone who cares to read. Who knows, maybe one of them will be someone who makes big decisions whose consequences rain down upon our small lives.
Maybe, OS will say some small thing that impacts what may remain of a conscience in that person.
Maybe.
So, thank you, all ya'll out there. Whether OS has helped you or not, you certainly have helped save him.
Now, for a morning thought to share, you might wish to look at a recent posting on Baseline Scenario, entitled 'The European Road To Serfdom'. Simon Johnson, a true voice of reason, helps organize the events of the past few months in understandable form.
Hope you find it valuable.
And, again, thank you.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Three Ugly Options: Greece, Europe, And Folks Here In The USA
This thing in Greece just won't go away.
Simon Johnson at Baseline Scenario weighs in. OS takes him seriously, given the man's resume, including time at the helm of the World Bank. Not another angry guy living in the basement of mom's house, definitely.
Long story short:
1. Nobody does anything, and Europe comes unwound.
2. The US rides to the rescue on the backs of its taxpayers, and does stuff that makes the TARP look like small potatoes.
3. The politicians in Greece actually man up, slash the spending, and do the right thing. It's really ugly for a while, but everyone survives, perhaps wiser for the experience.
Well, number 3 is not in the cards. The clowns who created the problem are still in charge. Courage is not their strong suit.
Number 1 is unacceptable, since the last time Europe came unwound, we all ended up with Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. That turned out well!
So, that leaves us contemplating Door Number Two, to quote the old TV game show...
OS scratches his gray head and wonders: Since we're now spending money like Greece has been for years, who rides to our rescue in 2022? A grateful Europe?
Simon Johnson at Baseline Scenario weighs in. OS takes him seriously, given the man's resume, including time at the helm of the World Bank. Not another angry guy living in the basement of mom's house, definitely.
Long story short:
1. Nobody does anything, and Europe comes unwound.
2. The US rides to the rescue on the backs of its taxpayers, and does stuff that makes the TARP look like small potatoes.
3. The politicians in Greece actually man up, slash the spending, and do the right thing. It's really ugly for a while, but everyone survives, perhaps wiser for the experience.
Well, number 3 is not in the cards. The clowns who created the problem are still in charge. Courage is not their strong suit.
Number 1 is unacceptable, since the last time Europe came unwound, we all ended up with Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. That turned out well!
So, that leaves us contemplating Door Number Two, to quote the old TV game show...
OS scratches his gray head and wonders: Since we're now spending money like Greece has been for years, who rides to our rescue in 2022? A grateful Europe?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Now That A Bit Of Progress Has Been Made...
OldSouth wishes to recommend Simon Johnson's blog, Baseline Scenario.
He explains thoroughly, in plain English, how we arrived to the present economic conundrums we confront. There is a lot of material to read, but should be time well-spent for any and all.
He has credentials:
Simon Johnson, former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and a member of the CBO’s Panel of Economic Advisers. He is a co-founder of The Baseline Scenario.
And, he writes with style and a dry sense of humor.
For all of us trying to navigate the waters these days, he provides some good insights.
He explains thoroughly, in plain English, how we arrived to the present economic conundrums we confront. There is a lot of material to read, but should be time well-spent for any and all.
He has credentials:
Simon Johnson, former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and a member of the CBO’s Panel of Economic Advisers. He is a co-founder of The Baseline Scenario.
And, he writes with style and a dry sense of humor.
For all of us trying to navigate the waters these days, he provides some good insights.
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